MySQL is the world's most popular open source database. Whether you are a fast growing web property, technology ISV or large enterprise, MySQL can cost-effectively help you deliver high performance, scalable database applications.

MySQL is a popular choice of database for use in web applications, and is a central component of the widely used LAMP open source web application software stack (and other 'AMP' stacks). LAMP is an acronym for "Linux, Apache, MySQL,Perl/PHP/Python." Free-software-open source projects that require a full-featured database management system often use MySQL.

For proprietary use, several paid editions are available, and offer additional functionality. Applications which use MySQL databases include: TYPO3, MODx, Joomla, WordPress, phpBB, MyBB, Drupal and other software. MySQL is also used in many high-profile, large-scale websites, including Google (though not for searches), Facebook, Twitter,Flickr, and YouTube.

Major features as available:

A broad subset of ANSI SQL 99, as well as extensions

Cross-platform support

Stored procedures, using a procedural language that closely adheres to SQL/PSM

Triggers

Cursors

Updatable views

Online DDL when using the InnoDB Storage Engine.

Information schema

Performance Schema

A set of SQL Mode options to control runtime behavior, including a strict mode to better adhere to SQL standards.

X/Open XA distributed transaction processing (DTP) support; two phase commit as part of this, using the default InnoDB storage engine

Transactions with savepoints when using the default InnoDB Storage Engine. The NDB Cluster Storage Engine also supports transactions.

ACID compliance when using InnoDB and NDB Cluster Storage Engines

SSL support

Query caching

Sub-SELECTs (i.e. nested SELECTs)

Built-in Replication support (i.e. Master-Master Replication & Master-Slave Replication) with one master per slave, many slaves per master. Multi-master replication is provided in MySQL Cluster, and multi-master support can be added to unclustered configurations using Galera Cluster.

Full-text indexing and searching

Embedded database library

Unicode support

Partitioned tables with pruning of partitions in optimizer

Shared-nothing clustering through MySQL Cluster

Multiple storage engines, allowing one to choose the one that is most effective for each table in the application.